I sometimes have a hard time understanding that what makes me, me is me.
I’ve always used something as my main identifier; work… the gym…
Using the gym as a main identifier of myself lead to fear of rest days, over training, no progress and pain. My old coach, encouraged this behavior. I was working out 7 days a week for 1 to 1.5 hours; I was seeing no progress. I would lose weight, but this would result in loss of muscle and strength. I was lost.
Like I have said in previous posts, I was not very vocal about my needs during this time either.
Last night I took an unplanned rest night; my body told me she needed to recuperate. In the past I would have told her to SHUT UP and I would have worked out, risking injury because my head and body were not in the game together. This has been a very hard transition for me, listening to my body and doing what she says, understanding that I might require more rest days because my body takes a tad longer to heal.
My coach tells me all the time to listen to my body and rest days = growth days. He cares more about my pain level and my workouts being productive than my just “getting them in”. J makes sure that I actually take them, I can be stubborn and combative when I feel like I should be able to work out.
Rest days make me feel like I am slacking off.
Since the B’s have been overseeing my workouts and nutrition I have never had better results and felt more fulfilled by a workout. Billy has changed my body through my foods, supplements and vitamins – complete supplements has changed my life. B has changed my life by helping me understand that I am not a super human, that I have off days and on. He helps me to see that I can work through the pain, the illness, the fear and get results through letting this sack of bones take a rest when she needs.
J has helped me see that the gym is not my sole identifier. That I am so much more that gym JJ, I am a fighter, warrior, survivor, care taker, friend, puppy mom… ect. This last year (less than a year really) has been full of learning who I am and embracing what makes me, well me.
My support group loves me for me, not what my job is or how many days a week I work out. They want me to be happy, and if these things do that, then great – but they do not except these as my full identifiers as a people.
https://www.t-nation.com/training/turn-rest-days-into-growth-days